Friction-clutch.



H. R. STAGES.

FRICTION CLUTCH. nrmonmr r1L-nn up. 21, 1009.

924,397. Patented June 8, 1909.

in R1 3 o o o :1, A s l Q R I l'l' I \x INVENTOR Y ww UNITED STA ES PA rNT onrron HOWARD ROY STAOKS, QF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOGEO. V. CRESSON (10., PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

'To'all whom it may concern 1 Be it known-that I, HOWARD RoY SrAox's,

of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadel-' "phia,

I has shown that in large sized clutches par ticularly, the employmentof V grooves and projections on the friction blocks and clamp mg jaws isundesirable. 'VVhen the shafts to becoupled together are not in perfectalinement, the V grooves of the friction blocks and the complementaryprojections of the jaws orclamping rings are of course out of alinement,and they are also out .of alinement from the dropping of the blockcarrying ring. In such cases it sometimes ha pens, by reason of theweight of the friction blockcarryin ring or float, that the engagementof the V-s aped projections with the V-shaped grooves does not act tocause enough lateral shifting of the friction blpck-carrying ring orfloat to produce accurate or proper. contact of pro'ections and groovesso that instead of exten ed surfaces in contact, there may be but pointsof contact, and therefore an insuflicient grip or bearing of theclutching surfaces. The object of my present invention is to overcomethis difficulty.

In the accompanying drawings, Fi ure 1 is a longitudinal section ofa-clutch em odying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a sectionon the line 2-2of Fig. 1.

As in the case of the clutch illustrated in the atents beforementioned,.'the clutch in whic I have embodied my present invention isapplied to twoshaft sections A and B, to

one of which sections is attached a cu formed shell or case C, Withinwhich is t e friction block-carrying ring or float D that is connectedwith the'shell or case, so that the two will rotate together, theconnection between them being a loose one that permits movement of thering or float D in a radial or sidewise direction, and there are twoclamping rings or jaws E and F on opposite sides of the ring or float D,and there is a tog le mechanism, which need not be descn ed, by whichthe clutching and 1m- Patented June 8, 1909.

- clutching operations may be erformed, said clamping; j aws beingmounte upon the shaft section At several points around its circumferenceor periphery, small helical or coil s rings G are interposed between thering or cat D and the rim of the shell or case 0, said springs beingradially disposed and acting toget er to yieldingly hold the frictionblockcarryingring or float D concentric with the shaft, section A. Ofcourse the number of springs G employed will be such that no matter atwhat point in the revolution of the clutch it comes; to rest, the ringor float D i will be su ported or held'from radial move-.

ment-by ropping when it is unclutched. It will be seen that althoughnormallv maintained'in a position concentric with the shaft section A,yet when the clamping rings E and F are locked or made to clamp thefriction blocks (1 in a clutching operation, the friction ring D is freeto move or shift radially or laterally if there be want of alinementbetween the shaft sections A and B, the or ifloat-supporting springsbeing com resse or i expande float moving radially or laterally to theeX- as may e required, and t e ring or tent that the clearance betweenit and the rim of the shell or case 0 will ermit.

It will be evident that wit out the use of th springs when the frictionring or float D is Ztationary or not revolving, it will by reason of theclearance between it and therim of the shell or case 0, drop out ofalinement with the shaft section A and rest on the bottom portion of therim of the shell or case C. The advantage therefore of maintaining thering or float D normally but yieldingly in a'concentric position will beperceived, and, 1n some cases this arrangement 1s useful when theV-shaped grooves and projections on jaws and friction .ring" areemployed, but ordi-narily I prefer to; dispense with the V- shapedgrooves or projections and make the abutting surfaces of friction blocksand jaws plane surfaces, as there are certain advantages in operation,and cost of manufacture,

that are thereby secured, and these are advantages which are obtained byyieldingly supporting the friction ring or float D in a concentricposition with its shaft section A. The plane surfaces are cheaperbecausethe cost'of machining is less, andsthey are not open to theobjection of an inadequate contact of the friction surfaces, whichis a ttobe the case where l-sh aped abutting sur aces are employed, inasmuchas because of want of proper alinement of the projections and groovesthe whole of the surfaces intended to abut do not abut.

Having thus described my invention, what and while it is in unclutchedposition, and a cooperatmg clutch member movable into and out ofengagement with said first-mentioned friction member.

2. In a clutch, the combination of a shaftcarrying shell or case, afriction member loosely connected therewith so as to be free i to moveradially, means yieldingly holding said member from radial movement inall points occupied by it in its rotary movement, and. whileit is inunclutched position, and jaws on op osite sides of said member.

3. Ina c utch, the combination of a shaft- 5 carrying shell or case, afriction member loosely connected therewith so as to be free to moveradially, radially arranged springs inter osed between said shell orcase and said mem er yieldingly holding said memberfrom 1 radialmovement in all points occupied by it in its rotary movement, and whileit is in unclutched position, and a cooperating clutch member movableinto and out of engagement with said first-mentioned friction member.

I 4. In a clutch, the combination of a shell or case, a friction ringwithin and loosely connected with the same, the connection permittingradial movement of the ring, springs interposed between said ring andsaid case or shell in all points occupied by it in its rotary movement,and while it is in unclutched position, yieldingly holding the ringconcentricwith the case or shell, and a clutch member to frictionallyengage said ring. I

5. In a clutch, the combination of a case or v shell, a frictionblock-carrying ring rotatably 1 connected with said case or shell, andmounted for radial movement therein, springs inter osed between theshell and the ring yie dingly holding the ring concentric with tarymovement, and while it is in unclutched position, and clamping aws forengaging the i friction blocks, the engaging surfaces of jaws andblocksbeing plane. 1 In testimony that I claim the foregoing l g have hereuntoset my hand. HOWARD ROY STACKS.

Witnesses:

WM. A. PEFFLE, JOSEPH M. HEWLETT.

the shell in all points occupied by it in its rov

